M.S., CCC-SLP
Temecula, CA
Expressable will match you with a licensed clinician who's experienced in your area of need and available when you are.
Get startedHi! I’m Kristen. I initially heard about speech pathology when I was in my first semester of my undergraduate degree. We were having a discussion about linguistics in an anthropology class and a fellow student mentioned she was a communication disorders major and all of the sudden I felt like I knew what I wanted to do! I initially wanted to work with adults, but I have primarily worked with the pediatric population and I love it! I especially love working in preschool as I feel like I make a huge difference in their lives at the beginning of their educational journeys. I especially enjoy when a child finds their voice with a new AAC device. I have specialized in the area of AAC throughout my career and have taught graduate and undergraduate courses in AAC at Old Dominion University and the University of Redlands. My doctoral research was in the area of typical peer modeling of AAC with preschool children with ASD. I hold the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). My clinical experience spans diverse settings, including public schools, universities, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and nursing and assisted living communities. I take a client-centered approach to therapy. I also prioritize family involvement, strengths-based strategies, and client empowerment, helping each client build confidence, independence, and effective communication skills.
California
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
English
B.S. - Northern Illinois University
M.S. - Penn State University
Pediatric Articulation/Phonological Disorder
Pediatric Developmental Cognition
Pediatric Fluency/Stuttering
Pediatric Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
Pediatric/Adolescent Social-Pragmatics
Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder
Early Language Development
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Hiking, photography, my pets, going on adventures, and traveling
At Expressable, all individuals and families are matched with a licensed speech therapist who's experienced in their specific area of need. You'll receive expert help from a talented, caring, and compassionate speech therapist invested in your or your child's communication success.
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Private payHSA/FSA Major insurance plansCommunication is one of our most vital, life-long skills. Speech therapy can help children reach communication milestones appropriate for their age; clearly articulate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas; comprehend the language of others; and develop socially. It also contributes to their academic success and emotional well-being. Plus so much more!
The first step is to schedule an evaluation with a speech therapist. They’ll assess your child’s communication development and make a professional recommendation as to whether your child could benefit from speech therapy.
There is no minimum age. Communication skills begin developing in infancy. Building strong language skills in very young children can set the foundation for strong communication and literacy skills later on. Speech therapy is particularly important for children who aren’t reaching age-appropriate communication milestones, or who are experiencing difficulties such as stuttering or a lisp. Because speech and language patterns become more ingrained over time, the earlier speech errors can be corrected, the better the outcomes are likely to be.
The duration of speech therapy is different for everyone, and it depends on several factors. This includes the type of speech disorder or communication challenge, the frequency of speech therapy sessions, how often you and your child practice the skills taught in speech therapy at home, your child’s age, any underlying medical conditions, and more.
Most children love online speech therapy! Many become more attentive with online learning, and they prefer the interactivity of online exercises and communication. Plus, there are many effective strategies that speech therapists use to engage children online. Expressable’s model of care also focuses on the most important part of improving children’s speech and language skills: the involvement of their parent or caregiver. When parents are actively involved in their child’s care, that leads to faster progress. Our therapists work directly with caregivers to teach them techniques and strategies they can use in their child’s everyday life.
Speech therapy sessions are focused on each client’s care plan, and the activities done during sessions always relate to those goals. So, if a person is in speech therapy to better pronounce the /s/ sound, they’ll begin by learning how to make the sound by itself and work up to practicing it in conversation. Or if someone wants to improve the quality of their voice, their speech therapist will teach them appropriate breathing and vocal exercises. The therapist will aim to do as many trials of each exercise as possible, in order to make the most of each session.
Your speech therapist will constantly be measuring and assessing your response to these exercises. When needed, they’ll make changes to your treatment plan to help you make progress as quickly as possible. Regardless of your goals, your speech therapist will always provide practice activities to complete at home between sessions.
Expressable currently accepts many of the largest insurance companies, and we’re actively working on contracting with new plans across the country. We also offer affordable private pay options and accept HSAs/FSAs for those who do not have insurance coverage or prefer to pay out-of-pocket.
Therapy from the comfort of your home
